


Nobody Wants to Date a Guy With a Kid

by Bugaboo253



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Eddie is a mechanic, Reddie, Single Dad AU, and has a daughter, bc why not??, bill is a good friend of eddies, eddie is the single dad uwu, hes married to audra in this, his son's name is charlie, idk im bad at tagging, richies a huge flirt as always
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-15 01:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19285198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bugaboo253/pseuds/Bugaboo253
Summary: Eddie meets Richie when he needs work done on his truck, and after that he comes in weekly for his payment plan. Eddie thinks he's flirting, but he knows it won't last. Nobody wants to date a guy with a kid.





	Nobody Wants to Date a Guy With a Kid

Eddie Kaspbrak was at the ripe old age of twenty-nine. He'd already lived a full life, really. His mother introduced him to a nice girl from her church that was his age right after he graduated high school. To keep his mother, and the girl, who's name was Myra, happy, he agreed to go out with her. When he hit the age of twenty, he and Myra had been dating for two years, and he was tired. His mother had convinced him he should propose, though, and he did. They were married within the year, and by the time Eddie was twenty-three, they had a kid. Eddie was shocked they managed that feat when they rarely had sex, but it's the “miracle of life” as his mother would say.

It wasn't until he was twenty-five when everything kind of went to shit. You see, something Eddie had been hiding from his mother since he was twelve and had hit puberty, was that he was gay. Yes, Eddie Kaspbrak, gay male, married and had a child with a woman. When he'd decided he needed out, it was a few years too late, they already had a kid for Christ's sake. However, Eddie needed to come clean. He came out as gay to Myra, who almost immediately turned around and filed for divorce, and somehow left Eddie with the child when she moved to Oregon later that year.

When Eddie hit twenty-seven and had a four-year-old boy by the name of Charlie at his side, he moved out of Derry and moved into Portland, Maine. It was a larger area, and that way he was away from his mother and all of his past life mistakes. He had gone to trade school back in Derry while he was with Myra, and so he was able to open his own, albeit small, auto body shop. Eddie was a mechanic, and a damn good one at that.

Eddie set up a sort of routine for himself in his new place, with his son. He'd wake up, take Charlie to school, then head to work. He'd work for hours, and then he'd take lunch when it was time to pick up Charlie from school, they'd stop somewhere for Eddie to get some food and he'd get Charlie a little snack as well, and then he'd head back to the shop.

Every day, Eddie just brought Charlie to work. He was a very well-behaved kid, and Eddie was very lucky. Most days, he could put Charlie in his office and he could sit in there and play with his legos, hot wheels, or whatever other toys he had. Other days, Eddie would let Charlie stay in the workshop with him if he wanted to, sometimes telling him about the car parts in the engine, pointing them out. Why not share the knowledge if he knew it? He hoped Charlie would grow up and one day look back on memories of when he was young, learning about cars and how to fix them up with his dad. Eddie knew he always wished he could have memories like that, so he wanted to make sure Charlie could have some, too. On the weekends, Eddie had to keep Charlie with him all day, so he'd let him sit in the office, but he could move about however he wanted, those days. He could move freely from office to shop whenever he wanted, because he didn't want to make him feel trapped with nothing to do for a full day. Those days were always fun for Eddie, though, because Charlie always found ways to surprise him.

So, the routine was set, and Eddie had been working at the same shop with the same routine for two years now. He was twenty-nine, Charlie was six, and things were working out for them.

One day, it was getting close to closing time, Charlie was in Eddie's office, and he was working on a car he'd had for about a week now. Nothing big needed fixing on it, but it had a lot of minor things to fix which, altogether, made it a lot of work. He was almost finished with it, though. He was working under the hood when he heard footsteps coming into the shop. Then, as if to confirm to him there was a body in his shop, the person spoke. “Um, hello?”

Eddie came out from where he was hidden by the car, and was immediately taken aback by the stranger. He was… really attractive. His curly black hair reaching almost to his shoulders, his cheek bones, his bit of facial hair, his jawline. Eddie could almost swoon at the sight of him. Before he could get caught staring, though, he walked towards him and cleared his throat. “Hi! Welcome to Kaspbrak's Auto Body Shop. How can I help you?”

The stranger looked at Eddie and his eyes widened for a moment before very obviously looking him up and down, causing Eddie to blush. “Yes, hi, my truck is out front, it broke down on me about a mile back, and my phone died, so I couldn't even call for help. This was the closest shop, so I had to push it all the way here. Can you please help a fella out?”

Eddie hummed. He most likely could. “Sure, I'll need your name and number really quick to put you into my computer, and then your make and model.” Eddie went to the computer and sat, waiting for the stranger to follow.

He did, and he gave him the name and number. Richie, huh? Richie then spoke up again. “And I really don't know much about my truck. If I recall correctly, it's a 1942 Ford Pickup? It's an old hunk-a-junk.”

Eddie gasped when he heard that. “You have an old 40s Ford Pickup? I've always wanted to see one in real life, my God those trucks are gorgeous. Alright, let's go see the damage!”

Upon heading outside to Richie's truck, Eddie looked positively horrified. He lifted up the hood and coughed at how much smoke was coming off of it. “My God, what did you do to her, drive into hell? This thing looks more burnt out than I am.”

Richie put his hands up defensively. “Hey, listen. This thing already wasn't in the best shape when my old man gave it to me. I don't know shit about cars, or trucks, so the condition has probably just been worsening since then.”

Eddie sighed, and told Richie to help him push it into the shop. It wasn't hard with the two of them. Once it was in the shop, Eddie could look at it more properly. It needed a lot of work, unfortunately, and when Eddie told Richie the price, he physically deflated. Eddie stepped in before he got too stressed about the cost. Eddie wanted to work on the truck really bad, and he wanted to get it back to working condition. He couldn't completely waive the price, he still needed to get paid, but he could still make it easier on Richie. “We can do payment plans here, though, and I can probably throw in a paint job to really make this baby shine, for free. I know a guy.”

Richie let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, yeah, that sounds great. If only there was _another_ way I could help pay.” He winked overdramatically and Eddie shook his head. “Yeah, not my best, but I tried.”

Eddie laughed softly. “Okay, Richie, well, I can give a rough estimate of when I can finish up on your truck, here. If I don't get any other customers within the timeframe and I can work solely on your truck, it'll be maybe about a week. Longer if you want that paint job, though. Just pop on in about a week from now with at least a small sum of money to start, and we can set up the payment plan from there, alright?”

Richie nodded with a grin. “Alright, yeah. I'll see you in a week, uh,” Richie paused to check Eddie's name on his suit, “Eds.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “It's Eddie, but yes, see you next week. Do you need me to call you a ride, or something?”

Richie paused on his way to the exit and turned back around. “Yes, actually, that would be very nice. Do you have a phone I can use? I can just call my friend Bev to come pick me up.”

Eddie gave him his phone, Richie called, and then he finally left. Once Richie was gone, Eddie let out a breath and went back to working on the car he'd been working on before he showed up. He finished rather quickly, actually, and after cleaning off his hands, he headed back to his office, where he found Charlie taking a nap on his little couch. He smiled and gently shook him awake. “Come on, bud, it's time to head home. We're having your favorite for dinner, too.”

Charlie grinned up at him. “We're having mac and cheese?”

Eddie chuckled. “Yup, with some chicken, too. Come on, let's get going.” He lead Charlie out of the shop, holding his hand, and he buckled him up in the car quickly before heading home. He made a simple meal for the two of them, made Charlie eat all of his vegetables, and then he put him to bed. He read him a story, and then turned out his light. He still had a nightlight in his room, and he wished him goodnight and he told him he loved him before he went to lay down in his own bed.

Eddie couldn't help but think of Richie as he tried falling asleep that night. It had seemed like he was trying to flirt with Eddie, but he wasn't about to get his hopes up. Eddie hadn't been in any sort of relationship since his divorce, and he hadn't even given himself time to look for anyone either. He needed to be there for Charlie, he didn't have time for a relationship. He didn't think many guys would want to a single dad anyways. He wasn't just going to introduce men into Charlie's life while he was so young. Maybe later, when Charlie was older, Eddie would find someone. For now, he wouldn't even think of Richie Tozier.

For the week following, Eddie worked endlessly on Richie's truck in the shop, making it hard to not think about its owner. He got another car at one point during the week, but the problem he needed to fix didn't even take a full day to work on, so he got back to fixing Richie's truck up. It was a lot more work than expected, but he loved working on it. He couldn't wait to see it back in working condition. Exactly one week after he met Richie Tozier the first time, he was back in his shop once again.

Eddie heard the footsteps coming in, and then he heard the voice. “Hello, Eds?”

Eddie removed himself from under Richie's truck and stood, wiping off his hands as he walked over to greet him. “It's still just Eddie, Richie. Hey. I'm sorry to say your truck isn't fixed up just yet, but I should have her done in the next couple of days, and you should be able to pick her up with a whole new coat of paint this time next week.”

Richie grinned. “Perfect! Can't wait to see what it looks like when it isn't a broken pile of junk. Can we talk about that payment plan, though?”

Eddie nodded. “Right, yes, follow me to the computer.” Eddie led him over and he sat down, typing a few things in. He gave him the total price again, and Richie let out a whistle. Eddie chuckled. “How much were you able to bring today?”

Richie sighed and scratched at the back of his neck. “Not… a lot. Sorry.”

Eddie shook his head. “Not to worry. This is a self-owned business, no corporate breathing down my neck, so I can afford to give a little breathing room. And I'm lucky enough to say the shop's doing pretty well right now, financially, so I'm not in need of your full payment all upfront. Let's set up a payment plan like this. You pay me whatever you can each week until you're completely paid off. It might take a little while, but it'll keep the stress off of your shoulders, yeah?”

Richie grinned at him. “Yes, thank you. That helps a lot, Eds. A cutie with a good heart, I must have found the best place in all of Portland.” He winked.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Don't call me Eds! Now, get out of here, Tozier, I have more work on your truck to do.”

Richie gave him a fake salute. “Aye, aye! Seeya next week, Eddie Spaghetti!”

Eddie rolled his eyes once again at the ridiculous nickname. When he went back to Richie's truck, though, he kept thinking about him. More specifically, he was thinking about Richie's little comment. _A cutie with a good heart._ Was he flirting with him? No… no he couldn't be. Really, he couldn't. Richie was one of the most attractive guys Eddie had seen since moving to Portland, and he only ever saw Eddie when he was covered in grease, in his stupid jumpsuit. He didn't look attractive at all like that. There was no way he was flirting with him. He was probably just being nice. Yeah, that was it. He was just being nice.

In the following week after that, Eddie, unfortunately, missed a whole day of work. It was for a good cause, it was careers day at Charlie's school, and Charlie had wanted so badly for Eddie to come in and talk to his class. He thought his dad was so cool! He wanted all of his friends to see how cool he was, too! So, how could Eddie resist? He went to Charlie's school and talked to his class about being a mechanic, how he got to work on some of the coolest cars out there, and how he was teaching Charlie how to work on cars one day, too, if that's what he decided he wanted. Eddie actually enjoyed it a lot, and rather than go back to work after Charlie's school day was over, Eddie decided to go home and just spend some time with his son.

Thankfully, Eddie was able to get the truck finished, though, and he was able to take it to Bill's to get it painted, all before Richie came back once the week was up. It was under a cover when Richie came in the next time, and Eddie was glad for that. He wanted it to be a surprise, when he saw his truck looking brand new again. Eddie had been sitting at his computer this time, when Richie arrived, not having another car to work on this time around. Eddie heard his footsteps walking in, and he looked up to see Richie standing there. “Hello, Richard.”

Richie grinned at him when he saw him. “Why hello, Edward, I am here to offer you my payment for the week and hopefully take my truck home finally?”

Eddie nodded. “Yes, of course. How much do you have for me this time?” Richie gave him the money, Eddie counted, and he put it in the computer. “Now, would you like to see your truck? I personally think it might look better than it did when it was first made.”

Richie grinned widely. “Yes, of course, I can't wait to have a car that _works_ again.”

Eddie grinned. “Not only does it work, it's now in amazing condition, and it looks great to match.’ He led Richie over to the truck, covered up, and after a count of three, he threw the cloth off of it. “Ta-da! She looks brand new, doesn't she?”

Richie looked in awe as he ran his hand over the side of it. “Holy _shit,_ Eds! It looks incredible! There's no rust! The dents are gone! It's _shiny!_ How the hell did you manage this? You're like… magic.”

Eddie laughed a little, a small flush coming to his cheeks with all the praise. “I'm not magic, it's all just skill. I will say, though, I can work wonders with just my hands and a box of tools on just about any piece of machinery.”

Richie smirked a little. “I'd love to see what other wonders you can do with those hands.” He winked.

Eddie flushed a deeper color, and he shook his head. “That's rather inappropriate, Mr. Tozier.”

Richie just laughed. “Okay, my apologies, but I'm free to go now? I can drive this baby out of here?”

Eddie smiled with a nod. “Go for it, she's all yours. Don't forget to come back next week to keep paying me, though! I won't like it if you rip me off.”

Richie grinned. “Wouldn't dream of it, I'll do anything to keep seeing that beautiful face of yours.” And with that, Richie climbed into his truck and drove off, out of the shop.

Eddie sighed as he watched Richie drive off, a smile on his face. He snapped himself out of it, though. “Come on, Kaspbrak. Get a hold of yourself, he's nothing more than a customer. That's all.” Now he was talking to himself. Perfect.

Since Eddie didn't have another car to work on after Richie left, Eddie decided to close up shop early. He went back to his office and smiled when he saw Charlie reading a book on the small couch he had in the small room. “Hey, bud. I'm closing shop early tonight. How do you want to go home and maybe watch a movie or two with dad before dinner?”

Charlie looked up and beamed at Eddie. “Movie night! Yeah! Let's go, let's go!”

Eddie laughed softly at his energetic boy and quickly locked up, taking him outside and going home. He had a lovely night in with him, and Eddie was happy. He didn't need a relationship, he didn't need anything like that. Eddie was happy with just his son, and he could keep it that way. He didn't need any Richie Tozier. He didn't need anyone. He was happy.

It was that simple fact that kept Richie out of his thoughts the entire next week as he got more customers, different customers, and plenty of cars to get his hands on. His work kept him busy and the routine was still going strong. Eddie was still happy. Eddie liked his routine. It kept things structured, and it was comfortable. Plus, Eddie _loved_ his job. He loved cars, and he loved working on them. So, he was doing something he loved, getting decent money to do it, and he had a son whom he adored. What more could Eddie want out of life?

Well, what Eddie wanted more of came walking into his shop that next week. Less of a what, though, and more of a _who._ Richie Tozier. Eddie hadn't been thinking of him, but he came walking back in a week later and Eddie remembered just how attractive he was. Eddie just blamed it on the fact that he'd been married to Myra for years and he couldn't even _look_ at guys. Yes, Richie had attractive features, but it's not like Eddie liked his crude jokes, or his goofy smile, or his charming personality-

God _dammit,_ Eddie was not supposed to be falling for a customer!

He smiled at Richie as he approached him at the car he was working on. “Ah, so he returns. Glad to see you kept your promise and aren't ripping me off.”

Richie only laughed. “What did I say last time, Eds? Any excuse to see your pretty face again, even if that means I have to give you money.” He paused when he realized what that almost sounded like. “That didn't come out right…”

Eddie laughed a little at Richie and shook his head. “It's alright, Richie. It was kind of funny. But stop calling me Eds!” He led him over to his computer again, and he took the money Richie had to offer him and entered it in before smiling up at him. “Alright, that's settled! You're good to go.” He got up to head back to the car he'd been working on, and he thought he caught a glimpse of panic cross Richie's face out of his peripheral vision.

Richie followed after Eddie, almost timidly. “Uh, before I go, I've just been wondering. What got you into cars, Eds?”

Eddie decided he wouldn't mind if he had company while working. He didn't have Charlie out here, so someone else wouldn't really be a bother. So, he got to work under the hood again as he responded to Richie. “They've always fascinated me. I know my father really enjoyed cars before he passed away when I was young. He was always working on this car in our garage, and he told me when I got older I'd help him fix it up. That, uh, never happened, but I still loved cars growing up anyways. Then, after high school, I just went to a trade school, and then when I moved here, I opened this shop. The rest is history.” He left out some of the unimportant details, like his mother, his marriage, and Charlie.

Richie nodded along as Eddie spoke. “That's really cool. So you enjoy your work? You like doing this?”

Once Eddie was pretty sure he fixed the problem, he closed the hood and went back in the car to check to see if it would run. It did, causing Eddie to grin. “Absolutely. The satisfaction of solving a problem is the best feeling in the world.”

Richie laughed a little. “Really, Eds? Has nobody showed you the wonders of sex, yet? I will _gladly_ volunteer.” He winked.

Eddie flushed softly and turned the car off. “That's still inappropriate, Richie. As my own boss, and my own HR department, I can't just be accepting your advances so willingly,” he teased back. “And don't call me Eds!”

Richie laughed as he pulled his keys from his pocket. “Anyways, I should get going, I've kept you long enough.”

Eddie smiled, but was sad to see Richie go. “Same time next week?”

Richie gave him a little salute as he left the shop. “It's a date!” Eddie sighed. If only.

Once the day was over, Eddie closed up his shop and took Charlie home. He didn't understand why he was so hung up on one guy. One stupidly attractive guy. Who seemed to be flirting with him. God, _was_ he flirting with him? It sure as hell sounded like it, but nobody had ever flirted with him before. Especially not a guy. Maybe he was just being nice? Being friendly? God, why was Eddie so stressed about this? It's not like he'd let it go anywhere. As soon as Richie found out Eddie had a kid, he'd stop with his advances. That was just a fact.

And it looked like Eddie was right.

The week following that day, Eddie had been keeping Charlie in the shop with him. Charlie kept asking to be in the shop more, and he wanted to hear more about the cars Eddie worked on. Eddie was happy to teach him some stuff. It was fun, and he loved having Charlie at his side while he worked. It made him happy, and it looked like it made Charlie happy, too. The next time Richie was meant to come in was the same story. Eddie had forgotten when Richie would be coming in, since he was very stressed at the moment. Charlie's teacher seemed to have given him plenty of sugar that day, and he was bouncing off the walls. He wanted to be in the shop again, so Eddie let him, and he stayed in the back, mostly, but he kept hearing things drop, followed by a little, "sorry," and then he could hear what he assumed to be Charlie putting things back. At least he was a well-behaved kid and he cleaned up after himself.

When Richie walked in, Eddie practically paled. He knew he'd find out sooner or later that he had a kid, but Eddie wasn't looking forward to the flirting coming to an end. He liked having good attention on him for once. Especially from another male. Maybe he could get away without him finding out just yet? He sighed. He might just have to deal with the fact that most guys wouldn't want a guy with a kid. Richie walked up to Eddie and grinned at him. "Hey, Eds, how's it hangin'?"

Eddie chuckled a little as Richie leaned onto the car he was working on with a smirk. "I've told you, don't call me Eds, and I don't know, fine I guess. Let's head to the computer so I can put in your payment." He had a playful smile on his face as he walked to the computer, Richie trailing behind him.

Richie grinned again when Eddie got to the computer and sat, and he stood across from him. He gave him the amount he had, and Eddie put it in. "You know, I don't know the normal hours you work, here. When do you normally get off?"

Eddie was about to answer when there was the sound of another thing falling. This time he didn't hear a 'sorry,' though, and he didn't hear it get put back. Dammit, Charlie. Eddie would have to clean and organize the shop before leaving. He looked at Richie with a smile still, though. "The time isn't always the same, since I'm self employed and the only employee. It's normally around dinner, though." More things were dropped, and Eddie let out a sigh.

Richie decided to ignore it, and he seemed to lighten up at that. "Really? That's perfect! Because I wanted to ask you if-" Richie was interrupted by more noises from the back of the shop.

Eddie sighed, he thought he knew where that was going to lead, and he _so badly_ wanted to know if he was right, but Charlie became a bit of an issue there. "Charlie, please try to stop dropping things, and remember to pick those up and put them back!"

Richie chuckled a little. "You got a new hire? I'd imagine it'd be nice to have an extra set of hands, here. He seems to be having some trouble back there, though."

Eddie bit his lip, deciding he needed to come clean sooner or later. "Uh, no, actually. Just… hold on one second." He turned to call back to Charlie. "Charlie, come here for a minute please!" Suddenly, his little boy came running out from the back of the shop and right to his side. He picked him up and held him on his side with one arm. "This is my son, Charlie. Charlie, this is Richie."

Charlie looked at the man and waved. "Hello." He then looked back at his father. "I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to drop stuff."

Eddie chuckled and nodded. "I know, buddy. It's alright. Just remember to pick the stuff up, okay?" Charlie nodded.

When Eddie turned back to look at Richie, his eyes were wide, and he looked… Eddie couldn't exactly name the expression on his face. He cleared his throat before speaking, "Well, I should get going, then. It was nice talking to you, Eddie, and it was nice meeting you, Charlie."

Eddie put Charlie down and let him run off. "Richie, wait!" He turned back towards him. "What, uh, what were you going to ask me earlier?"

Richie pressed his lips together and shook his head. "That's not important anymore, it's quite alright. I'll see you next week, Eddie." And then he was out the door. Eddie definitely didn't miss how he just called him Eddie now, instead of Eds. He'd asked him not to call him that, but that wasn't the point. He'd still been calling him that. Until now. Of course. He found out he had a kid and wanted nothing to do with him. The one pretty damn good guy he'd found since moving out here, and he lost him. He of course didn't blame Charlie. He blamed himself for getting him into this mess. He was frustrated, now. He finished up with the computer and shut it off, and he worked on closing up the shop.

Eddie called out to Charlie. "Hey, Charlie, we're heading home a little early today. Let's get going, kiddo!" He watched as Charlie ran back out to him, and he took Charlie's hand. He grabbed his school stuff for him, and took him outside with him and locked up before leaving. When they got home, he made dinner, and then he made sure Charlie washed up and he got him in bed before going to his own bedroom.

Eddie laid in bed that night, looking up at the ceiling. He was certain Richie had been about to ask him on a date. At least, that's what he assumed he was going to do. Then it was ruined. It confused Eddie, though, because he thought if any guy was going to be cool about him having Charlie, he thought it'd be Richie. He seemed so kind and thoughtful. He hadn't thought of him as the type to be turned off of someone for having a kid. Maybe you just couldn't judge a book by it's cover. He hadn't actually gotten to know him too well. Maybe he hated kids, who knows?

Eddie fell asleep that night frustrated, and sad. He knew he shouldn't have allowed himself to start getting feelings for a customer, but he did. Now look where it ended him. He'd have to still see Richie after this, too, because he wasn't done with his payments.

The next week after that felt like hell for Eddie, but that didn't compare to the hell he felt when Richie came in next, looking as good as ever. He didn't have Charlie out that day, he was back in his office again. Richie came up to him, and he didn't joke at all with Eddie. That's what made it all hurt the most. He acted like a completely different person. "Hey, Eddie, I have this week's payment," was all he said. No Eds, no playful jokes. Just that.

Eddie took him over to the computer, out in the amount, and gave him back the new amount he still owed. With the amounts he'd been giving him, he'd probably be done within the next few weeks. That fact both relieved Eddie, and made him sad. He wouldn't have to deal with this shit anymore after that, but then he also would never see Richie again. "Alright, you're set."

Richie grinned. "Alright, thanks Eddie. I'll see you again next week." Then he left. No staying longer to even chat. Eddie felt like he could go insane. He just went back to working on the car he currently had until he realized he wasn't getting anymore work done with how distracted his mind was. He closed up shop and he took Charlie home again for dinner.

He only really had one person he could talk to about it, but he knew he wouldn't fully understand. Bill was not a single dad, and he also wasn't gay. He wasn't straight, but he was in fact married to a woman, the mother of his child, and so again, not single. So, he couldn't fully relate. Other than pining over a hot guy, maybe. He'd met Bill at Charlie's school actually, since Bill's daughter Jaime went to the same elementary. They'd met a few times, bonded, and then just sort of became friends that way. So, the next weekend between Richie visits, he had Bill come to his shop so he could talk, since he didn't work weekends.

"So, what you're telling me is, a hot guy was flirting with you for a few weeks, and then he meets your son and totally ghosts you?"

Eddie sighed and nodded as he worked under the hood of a truck he currently had in the garage. "Yes, Bill, that's exactly what I'm telling you." Charlie was currently over at his place, because Audra had been so nice to offer to watch Charlie for the day so Eddie could have a break.

Bill hummed. "Then, you know what Eddie? He sounds like an asshole. If he liked you all the way up until he found out you had a kid, then that's not the kind of guy you would have wanted coming into your life anyway."

Eddie groaned and pulled back from the car. "I know, and I've been trying to tell myself that, Bill, but he was just so _attractive_ and _amazing,_ and he was funny! And charming! And he seemed like such a good guy, I still can barely believe he reacted the way he did to me having a kid! I would have thought he of all people would have been fine with it!" He slumped in his desk chair with a huff. "I feel like I'm back in high school, hung up over some boy that really doesn't matter all that much."

Bill chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, that's kind of what it sounds like. I'm sorry, though, man. I mean this in the most inoffensive way possible, I promise, but I know you've been feeling more lonely recently, and it would have been really nice if you could have had someone, but I don't think he was the one."

Eddie sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I get that. Thanks, Bill."

Eddie continued working, Bill staying with him for company. They get lunch together, and they even grab dinner for the two of them, both of their kids, and Audra, and bring it back to Bill's place to all eat together. After that, Eddie takes Charlie home and puts him in bed. He looked exhausted, so he assumed Audra did something to tire him out, bless her. After Charlie was in bed, Eddie got into bed himself and sighed. Richie wasn't who he thought. There was no reason to get hung up on him, now.

So, the next time Richie came in, Eddie met him with a smile, took his payment, gave him the rest of the amount still owed, and then he was on his way. And Eddie felt fine after the transaction. It still hurt a little, but it was fine. He was fine.

The week after that was entirely uneventful. He got one new car to work on, and he finished up some other guy's truck, who picked it up soon after. The car he was working on didn't take too much work and he was done with it within a few days, and then he had nothing to work on. He had no work at work. It was weird, and boring, and he hated it. That's how it was when Richie came in the next time, Eddie already sitting behind his desk. He had his jumpsuit zipped down slightly and the top half of it pulled off of him with the sleeves tied around his waist.

Richie walked in and walked straight to the desk. "Hey, Eddie. I think this is the last of what I owe you. Thanks again for letting me do payments like this, it was a big help."

Eddie took the money from Richie and counted it and, sure enough, it was the last of what he owed. It made Eddie sad, knowing that this would definitely be the last time he saw Richie. "Yup, this is the last of it, and it was no problem, really." He looked up at Richie with a grin. "So, I guess this is the last time I'll be seeing you, huh, Richie?"

Richie frowned and he nodded, beginning to back away towards the door again. "Yeah, it seems like it. Bye, Eddie." He turned to leave, but then he quickly turned back and walked to the desk once more. "Okay, I can't go without doing this. I'm so, _so_ sorry for how I acted in our first few meetings. It was so inappropriate of me. I just… I guess I just assumed you weren't straight after it seemed like you were going along with my flirting, and I don't know, I didn't see a ring so I assumed you were single, too. Not that you need a ring to, you know, be with and have a kid with someone, of course. I just had no idea you were taken, and I'm so sorry if I ever made you uncomfortable." Richie rambled, his hands flying through his hair.

Eddie could almost laugh. In fact, he did laugh. It was just a small chuckle, but it was enough to make Richie look at him in confusion. Eddie cleared his throat before talking. "I think I need to clear some things up. I am very much not a heterosexual male, and I am absolutely not taken in the slightest."

Richie looked even more confused now. "Wait, but… but Charlie? He… I'm assuming he's your biological son, you look so much alike, but you…? You're not…?"

Eddie laughed again. "He is my biological son. I had him with my ex-wife… who divorced me after I came out to her as gay when Charlie was two. I moved here with Charlie later, and I have been painfully single ever since."

Richie's eyes widened, and then he grinned. "That's… really? Wow that's- that's perfect! Really perfect, honestly. Then, uh, can I finish asking that question from a few weeks ago?"

Eddie had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he grinned. "Yes, yes you may."

Richie let his signature smirk come back to his face. "Well then, Eds, how would you like to grab dinner with me on Friday?"

Eddie bit his lip with a grin. "If I can find a sitter for Charlie, I'd love to."

Richie chuckled a little. "Or I could pick something up for us and the little munchkin and bring it over? Save you the hassle. Could have a nice meal and a night in." He paused and quickly added, "If that's alright with you, of course. I wouldn't want to intrude, obviously. That's totally your space, and I understand if you wouldn't want me over on the _first_ date. I just thought, you know, sitters can be hard to find, and they cost money, and you must already have so much on your plate, being a single dad, I just thought I could make it easier for you, but if you don't want that, it's totally fine, it was just, like, a suggestion, y'know? And-"

Richie was cut off by Eddie leaning over his desk and giving him a small, quick peck on the lips. He didn't want anything too much, in case Richie didn't like it, but it got him to stop talking. "That honestly sounds lovely, Richie. You're right, sitters can be hard to find, and they do cost money. A lot, even, if you want a good one that you know you can trust. At least in my experience. We're both grown adults, I think we can handle having dinner at my place in a responsible manner."

Richie had a small flush to his cheeks and a wide grin plastered to his face. "Perfect, then it sounds like a date! What's your favorite kind of food?"

Eddie chuckled. "I love chinese food, any kind, really, but no chow mein. Charlie likes teriyaki with white rice, by the way." He grinned happily and Richie pulled out his phone, seemingly typing it into some notes so he'd remember.

Richie looked back up at Eddie and grinned. "Awesome. Now, could I have the honor of getting your number?"

Eddie nodded and took Richie's phone, putting in his number. "And I already have yours, thanks to you being in my computer system," Eddie joked, causing Richie to laugh. 

Richie put his phone back in his pocket and smiled. "This went so much better than I could have hoped. I'll see you _and_ Charlie on Friday, then. Seeya, Eds!" With that, he headed out of the store, and Eddie let out a wistful sigh as he watched him go. He couldn't wait for Friday.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I wasn't even writing this for Father's Day but I wish now that I could have finished it on time for that. Hope you enjoyed reading! I wrote this in small increments over a long period of time, and I finally got it to a point that I was happy with! I'm really tempted to continue this and write their first date, maybe? I don't know! Tell me what you think. Find me on Tumblr @bentylershook !!


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